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International online gaming brand Bodogrecently signed to be a master sponsor of the Copa do Brasil in a seven figure dollar deal.

The competition is the most significant club competition in the region – similar to the FA Cup in the UK. Bodog already has a long history of major sponsorships in Europe with English Premier League clubs like Arsenal FC and West Bromwich Albion, however the landmark partnership marks the operator’s first Brazilian football-based marketing venture.

Bodog brand PR Director, Ed Pownall spoke to SBC about why the Copa do Brasil is the perfect next venture for Bodog, as it looks to continue expanding its global presence.

SBC: What is it about the Copa Do Brasil that made it an alluring sponsorship attraction for Bodog?

Ed Pownall: A sponsorship like this does a number of things very quickly: i) shows you are investing in the country, ii) gives an instant ‘trust factor’ iii) gets people talking about who and what you are and on a very base level iv) shows you can afford it which, as a bookmaker, people want to know – the longevity of the brand obviously helps here but when you enter a new market they need to believe you can pay out when the ‘obvious home treble comes in.’

SBC: How important is it for Bodog to spread sponsorship deals across a global platform?

EP: Bodog have had a pretty extensive portfolio of many sponsorships over the years from Premier League clubs to WSOP winners and via our own MMA League and the Lingerie Bowl, that level of ‘back content’ is invaluable as anybody looking is up sees this huge array of different sponsorships and the trust is almost immediate.

SBC:What can you do to ensure that this sponsorship deal is activated to its fullest?

EP:It’s always the hardest part of any sponsorship. The biggest problem with anything like this is you don’t really ‘own’ anything. Yes, you have your logo plastered around but that doesn’t make people use your product. Personally – but there are many ways to skin a cat, and I loathe folk that say their’s is the right way – I like to connect it directly to the product and the event. Why sell your Facebook page rather than your commercial website? I like to make sure anybody that picks up on a sponsorship sees markets and content directly relevant to the event. 1+1 just does = 2.

SBC:Do you anticipate this deal will lead to follow on sports sponsorship deals in different markets?

EP: In that region we are keen to get our feet under the table in Brazil first rather than running before we can walk but, yes, we hope to be announcing more in Brazil very shortly…and those deals still help the brand in other regions.

SBC: For Asian operators, sponsorship deals in the Premier League have become increasingly popular, what do you anticipate the reason for this is?

EP: This is very simple – the eyeballs you get on the Premier League in China are mind-boggling and the market is so vast (both in volume and margin).